Rise of the Sphinx
by ladyphoenix202
Summary: The XMen have just suffered a great loss, Dr. Jean Gray is gone, but with the confrontation between mutants and humans heating up, a new mutant may just be the key. Post X2, my own X3 version. R & R.
1. Return of the Past

Author's note: This is my very first fanfic, so read and enjoy, and if at all possible please review, I really appreciate compliments as well as constructive criticism. Thanks

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Chapter 1: Return of the Past

Sadie Phillips, tired and confused, entered a house she hadn't been to in some time. It was a beautiful manor located in the country outside of New York City. It looked just as she had left it four months earlier, all except for the layer of dust that covered everything. Walking into the sitting room she pulled a sheet off the old sofa and flopped down with a sigh.

The morning she'd just had was one she wanted to try and forget, but it kept flashing through her mind, reminding her of other events she wished would stay forgotten. All she wanted at that moment was to unwind with a nice hot, relaxing bath accompanied by a strong drink. So she dragged herself off the sofa to get her drink. After a few minutes of rummaging through the liquor cabinet she discovered she already finished off the last of her ten-year-old scotch.

'Damn' she thought.

"Looks like its going to be just you and me," she said as she resigned herself to take out a large bottle of Russian vodka instead, and headed for the tub.

At some point in everybody's lives they get this gut instinct type feeling, which almost always comes with some life-altering event. This uneasy feeling then becomes replaced with the feeling of falling, and falling, and falling. It's like being in an elevator with slight motion sickness and then having the bottom drop out. For Sadie, that morning was the second time in her life that she'd had the bottom drop out from under her.

Fifteen minutes and a couple of drinks later she was finally able to relax some. Soaking in the tub and in a better state of mind, she decided she needed to face what happened that morning and try and make sense of it all.

She started off her day by waking with a start at six in the morning. Now this wasn't the strange part of her morning because she had woken up like this before, and every time she woke she couldn't remember what she had been dreaming. Instead it was that intuitive feeling; like something important was lurking around the edge of her consciousness, but just out of reach, that worried her. She tossed and turned for what seemed like ages, but was unsuccessful in her attempts to get more sleep. As she stumbled out bed to her bathroom she tried to reason that the uneasy feeling she'd had was just her nerves acting up.

'Pull yourself together' she thought as she gazed at her reflection over the sink. Staring back were a pair of vibrant green eyes which usually had a shimmer of life and energy, but at that moment were filled with worry. She splashed her face with water in an attempt to wash away the wariness she felt.

'Everything is fine. It just needs some finishing touches. Nothing to worry about' she thought as she combed out the tangles in her rich and wavy, dark brown hair that grew down to the middle of her back. She was trying to persuade herself that the presentation she had coming in a few days was nothing she couldn't handle, but then she couldn't stop thinking about how this presentation was a huge step in her career as a medical researcher. It could very well secure her a professorship at New York University. She loved teaching others just as much as making new and fascinating discoveries, but what if she got up there and everything fell apart.

"It won't," she told her reflection, 'it can't' she thought to herself. Deciding that the only way to get rid of this feeling would be to workout she headed back to her room to get ready to go to the gym. Ever since she was younger she found a sort of calming peace when she was doing any physical training, especially combat fighting. She never quite understood why she was able to reach a level of mental clarity at these times, but it was a great way for her to process her thoughts, she had even made some of her best research advancements by working out physically. After grabbing a quick bite to eat she was off to burn off her anxiety.

About three hours later she was back at her apartment building and feeling more at ease about the upcoming presentation. It wasn't until she had walked back into her place that the feeling returned. It washed over her like a wave and caught her so off-guard that she had to brace herself with the doorframe as not to loose her balance. After the initial shock of having her nerves on edge again, feeling almost like a low electrical charge was pulsing through her body, Sadie couldn't concentrate on anything, she felt dazed. She tried focusing on organizing the last bit of her presentation information, but after twenty minutes of staring at the same sheet of data and not being able to shake the weird feeling that something important was coming closer and closer to happening, she threw the paper back with the others and fled to her kitchen.

'If I can't even look at my work how am I supposed to share it with a hundred students and professors in two days,' she thought distractedly as she began to make herself a sandwich, but something began to nag at her mind. Something that was trying to tell her that the worry she felt wasn't about her presentation.

"Well if it's not the presentation then what else could it be," she questioned aloud. With no response but the stillness of her silent apartment Sadie prepared herself to enjoy her sandwich and then buckle down and get some work done. She was about to sit down to eat when it happened, she felt slightly faint as an image flashed before her eyes. What she saw made her gasp and her heart almost stop. Then, in an instant, she was streaking through her New York flat to her fire escape window, which, if she remembered, she had opened earlier on impulse on her way to the kitchen. It was without a second thought that Sadie went diving out the open window.

The image that spurred her to make a suicidal leap out her window was that of a man falling from the roof of her apartment building, and sure enough, not a moment after she soared through the opening a body of a man was falling and passed right in front of her. Because of the timing of her leap, Sadie was able to grab the man, and in a split second she had done an aerobatic maneuver that positioned the apparently unconscious man on her shoulder and enabled her to brace herself for the landing, which was quickly approaching.

Now, for any ordinary person to just suddenly leap from a five story apartment window is suicidal enough, but to also catch another falling body, that would just be insane. But luckily for Sadie, she's no ordinary person, far from it. She is what's known as a mutant. Though her plummet to earth with a body on her shoulder could even kill many mutants, it was her gift, or power, that made it seem like jumping from a low wall instead of five stories. It was a pretty hard landing, but there was no lasting damage. Well to her at least, the pavement had visible cracks left in from the impact.

After a quick glance around to check if anyone had been watching, Sadie felt relieved that they were in the alleyway and no one seemed to be around. She then sat the man down and leaned him back against a dumpster so as to get a better look at him. She started by checking to see if he was breathing, then moved on to looking over his body to check for any serious injuries, while she did this she couldn't help but notice the peculiar outfit that he had on, it was some sort of black leather jumper. 'This is strange,' she thought as she traced her finger over an X emblem on the collar. She shifted her attention to his face. 'Very ruggedly handsome,' she mused, smirking at this train of thought. He had the scruffy I-haven't-shaved-in-a-few-days look, along with quite the pair of mutton chops. Even his dark brown hair was uniquely shaped.

Sadie was so wrapped up in taking in his handsome features and wondering what on earth he had been doing to cause his fall from her roof, that she didn't notice his slight stirrings. Just as she was leaning in closely to check his head for any injuries his eyes flashed open and at the same moment he lunged at her with a guttural growl. So caught by surprise, Sadie didn't have time to react before she felt a searing pain in her abdomen. She was gasping in pain as she looked down to see what appeared to be three metal claws thrust into her stomach. As she stared in shock at this she missed the shift in emotions on the man's face.

The instant it took for him to realize that the person in front of him was not who he originally thought it was, and that in fact this person happened to be a very beautiful woman, his rage turned to fear. Everything suddenly seemed like it was moving in slow motion, and in his shock at having stabbed an innocent woman he was unable to move, all he could do was stare.

Sadie couldn't believe what had just happened. Shifting her gaze back to his face she thought, 'I saved your life,' and now he cost her a life. With that thought in mind she looked directly into his eyes and saw her fear and confusion reflected in them as the darkness closed in around her.

He could tell she was fading fast, and with that his mind finally caught up with what had happened and he withdrew his ademantium claws. As he looked into her eyes he felt helpless in their gaze, then a strange shift occurred in them and her head drooped and her body began to slump towards him. He reached out to catch her but just as he was about to grasp her shoulders her head snapped up. In an instant he was once again staring into those amazing eyes, but there was something distinctly strange about them. They were the same vibrant green as before, but the pupils had changed, they had become catlike. He was so thrown off guard by this that he failed to notice the incoming left hook with enough force that he was knocked on his side.

All Sadie wanted to do was get away from that man and that place as she took off after having given him a punch that would have cracked his skull if it weren't for the ademantium that protected him. She tore up the busy street to the parking garage where her bike was kept. She quickly grabbed her helmet and jacket and threw them on, hopped on to her BMW motorcycle and fled the city. There was only one other place she could think to go to in her mounting confusion to find comfort. It wasn't far but the sun had fallen low in the sky by the time she reached her parents house.

Sadie's mind drifted back to where she was, sitting in what used to be a hot bath. Deciding to head for bed she was just glad that she was safe in her old home, the place she grew up in since she was ten years old. It was at that age that she became a part of the Phillips' family. In fact it was them that found her dirty, cold, and alone wondering along a Canadian highway. Also, when they found her, she didn't know how she had gotten there or even who she was. So, the rest of her childhood was spent in their wonderful country manor being home schooled by her two adopted parents. She excelled in practically everything she studied, and she found she had a particular love of science, most likely due to both parents being doctors. They were the reason she chose this career path. Growing up with them, she couldn't imagine what her life would have been like without them, or even what it had been before they found her, but not anymore.

They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes. Well, for Sadie, the moment between the darkness and her reawakening in the alley, it was only partially true. Instead of witnessing moments from throughout her life, she only saw those things she had forgotten, things she wished could have stayed forgotten. She was now faced with the truth of her childhood before she was found on the highway all those years ago. It was with this final thought in mind that she drifted off to a restless sleep filled with dreams about her past and her parents.


	2. Who is Sadie Phillips?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Chapter 2: Who is Sadie Phillips

'What the hell,' thought Logan as shook his head to clear his mind. He never even saw that punch coming. Well, really how could he have, he was too occupied by staring into those strange but beautiful eyes. As he got up he looked around the alley for any sign of the woman, but she had already fled the scene, and after approaching the entrance to the street he could tell she was long gone. Suddenly he felt a high wind at his back.

"Took you guys long enough," he said as he turned into the alley where a small group of people were standing, all wearing black leather outfits similar to his. This was because they were all on a team known as the X-Men.

"Well, if you quit trying to be the lone ranger Wolverine, and taking off ahead of us then we wouldn't get stuck with cleaning up your messes," remarked the man wearing a ruby red vision band over his eyes. Logan, or Wolverine as some call him, looked directly at the man who had just spoken and smirked. Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, and Wolverine had never quite seen "eye-to-eye".

Ororo could see an argument brewing and that would get them nowhere. So she intervened by stepping between the two, effectively cutting Logan off from retorting with some rude remark.

"What happened? We didn't see any sign of Juggernaut when we got here," she asked. Logan gave one last look of dislike towards Cyclops then shifted his attention to Storm and her question.

"I don't quite know," he exclaimed. "When I got here I found our friend 'Jughead' lurking around on that roof," he said as he pointed straight up to the roof he had plummeted from not long ago. "He and I exchanged a few words and then a few punches, and then…well…this is where things don't match up… he must have punched me hard enough to make me loose consciousness and fall from the roof. When I came out of it I could sense a presence and I thought it was him, but…but it wasn't." He really didn't want to tell them what happened next, but he it had to be said in order for them to understand what happened. "Instead it was a woman, but I didn't know that before I lunged forward with my claws," at this the group gasped but Logan hurriedly continued, "but, well its hard for me to even understand it now…but she seemed to snap back to life not a moment after she appeared to have died, and her eyes…they were almost catlike. She must have been a mutant, but how can even a mutant die and come back to life?" None of them seemed able to respond at first, even for them it sounded pretty unreal.

After a moment of stunned silence Storm spoke up. "Logan you said her eyes were…catlike?" He nodded and she continued, "Well, I guess it could be possible that she has a feline type of mutation. We've all heard the tale of cats with nine lives. What if it was true and she just so happens to have that as part of her powers. If so, then she very well could have died, in a sense, and come back." When she finished every one of them seemed to ponder what this meant. Out there somewhere was a mutant that had nine lives, and with this thought in mind Logan couldn't help but think of Jean, wishing she were still alive.

He was brought out of his depressing thoughts by a comforting hand on his shoulder. Looking over he saw the hand belonged to a girl named Rouge. She just gave him a questioning look as if to ask if he was all right. He gave her a small smile then his thoughts returned to the strange woman, and he turned back to the spot where he had stabbed her. 'Who was she and where had she come from?' he thought to himself as he moved closer for a better look. As he looked around he noticed cracks in the pavement that looked as though they were the result of a high impact. 'Impossible' he thought as he spun around and began scanning his way up the building. After a moment he found an open window that led to the fire escape. He scanned the rest of the building and it was the only open window with close enough proximity to where he had fallen. Going on impulse he headed towards the fire escape.

Just as he was pulling the ladder down to climb up he was reminded of the others presence when Scott spoke up.

"Where are you going now?"

"To check something out. Is that alright with you _dad_," Logan replied smartly as he continued climbing. He had been to busy investigating the scene moments before to pay attention to the discussion the rest of the group was having about trying to locate Juggernaut, but his excursion up the fire escape had sufficiently diverted their concentration. Soon he was followed up by Rouge, who was in turn followed by her boyfriend, Bobby. This left Storm and Cyclops standing in the alley. Scott was looking like he wanted to do nothing more than strangle Wolverine for taking off again.

"We should probably go up after them. We've got to stick together after all," Storm said with a bit of a sigh as she saw Logan disappear through the window. Scott just grumbled and soon they were making their way up the fire escape, pulling up the rear.

Further up the building Logan had slipped through the open window and was taking a look at his surroundings as he slowly moved forward, the others filing in behind him. They were in what would have been considered a pretty high-end apartment with classic molding and stylish decorating, if it weren't for the fact that the place was a mess. Papers were strewn all over the place, furniture was knocked over, and the door was smashed in.

"Someone's been here looking for something, and I think I know who," Logan said to the others after he saw what was left of the door. 'So this is what Juggernaut was doing here, but what was he looking for?' Logan thought to himself as he looked at some of the papers spread on the table in front of him. The rest of the team had spread out by now and were picking through different remnants of Sadie's belongings. It was a few moments later that Logan came across a framed picture lying upside down on the ground and as he picked it up bits of broken glass fell from it. He turned it over and there she was, the mysterious mutant, standing between an older couple, presumably her parents and she was holding some type of award. He couldn't help but stare at her. She had long, dark hair that framed her fair, heart shaped face, and her smile was full of gleaming white teeth. Her features were delicate, but after having felt how hard she could punch he knew that that was all that delicate about this woman. Then there were those vibrant, penetrating eyes.

"Is that her?" questioned Storm as she stood next to Logan. He just grunted in the positive as he stared at her green eyes, those beautiful green eyes. "She's very pretty," commented Storm as she noticed how intently Logan was looking at the picture. He picked up on the implication and pulled his attention away form the picture in order to look around and see what the others might have found, but he discovered that they must have moved on into another room because it was just him and Storm left in the main room. He glanced to Storm and she nodded to his unasked question, so he headed off towards the bedroom.

"You guys find anything?" he asked as he stepped through the doorway into the bedroom. Rouge looked over at him from the closet, 'girls' he thought, and Bobby was rummaging through some stuff on the desk.

"Well it looks to me like her computers been taken along with any hard discs. Also, I think I found some identification," replied Bobby as he turned back to the desk to grab Sadie's gym card. At the mention of having found an identity for the woman, Logan strode quickly over to Bobby's side to have a look.

"Sadie Phillips, eh?" Logan said as he stared at the card, looking up he said to Bobby, "Good job kid. Rouge come on, it's time we regroup." Then he turned and headed back out to find Storm and Cyclops.

They found the other two X-Men back in the main sitting room where most of the papers where strewn. Scott was staring absentmindedly out the window with a few of the papers in his hand while Storm was crouched down filing through some still on the floor.

"Figured out what all the paperwork is from?" Logan asked.

"I think I have an idea, but I would like to get back to the school and run it by the Professor," answered Storm as she stood up with her own handful of papers. "If all this means what I think it does, then we need to find this woman, and quickly before Magneto does," she stated with a grim look on her face.

Logan was about to question her further when something caught his eye from behind Storm. 'Could it be,' he thought as he strode past her, going straight to a beautiful painting on the wall. It wasn't the painting itself that caught his attention, but rather the fact that one side was out away from the wall. Once he was close enough he could see that he was right in assuming that it swung open to reveal a safe, which, thanks to Juggernaut, was now empty. 'What were you looking for _Jughead_, and did you find it?' Logan pondered as he stared into the empty safe.

"Logan, come on. We've got to get back and share what we found with the Professor," Storm called, pulling Logan out of his musings. He turned to see that the others were already out on the fire escape and going to the jet. Figuring the Professor would undoubtedly have better luck in surmising what happened, he too exited through the window, but not without taking one last look at a picture of Sadie sitting in a boat and wondering where she disappeared to.


	3. Meeting the Brotherhood

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Chapter 3: Meeting the Brotherhood

She was sweating, pushing herself so hard that she could have collapsed at any moment, but she kept moving, fighting. Her opponent was a full grown man that under normal circumstances would have squashed her flat, but her speed and agility were keeping her ahead of him. Just as he was about to give her a hard blow the scene changed. She was in a laboratory with people all around her and wires and needles all over her. As one of the men bent over a light flashed in her eyes, and the scene changed again. She was in the dormitory, but something's wrong. She could hear screaming coming from the hall and smoke was pouring in under the door. The other children were stirring and getting ready to flee the burning building. As soon as the door opened a back-flash of fire engulfed those by the door. Horrified by what she saw and seeing her opportunity to get out as the flames died down she ran for it. The building was collapsing all around her. She could hear, and even feel, explosions occurring in other parts of the compound. Thinking that she was almost safe as she reached an exit, she wasn't ready for the explosion that blew apart the wall behind her and sent her flying into the wall. The pain she felt was all over and she began to scream.

Panting, Sadie just laid there, the scream dying in her throat as she woke covered in a cold sweat, and slightly disoriented from what she saw. As the images began to fade so did the residual pain they left, and slowly Sadie became more aware of where she was, which wasn't exactly where she had been when she fell asleep. Instead she was now hovering three feet above the bed. She was so startled by this that whatever power that had put her up there in the first place gave out and dropped her back onto her bed.

It took her only a moment after returning to her bed to realize that she wasn't alone in her room, and not a second later she had the bedside gun in her hand and pointed at the chair in front of the window. Seated in the chair was a man she had never seen before wearing a funny looking helmet and a long cape. When she trained the gun on him he gave her a small smirk, and with a flick of his hand her gun went soaring into his.

"My dear, there is no need for you to arm yourself," he said in a calm voice. "I am only here to talk. My name is Magneto, and this…" he continued while gesturing to the doorway "…is one of my Brotherhood, and his name is Pyro." Sadie only glanced briefly at the young man standing by the door playing with a lighter, then returned her gaze back on the older gentleman and remained silent. When Magneto understood that she was not going to continue with the introductions he took it into his own hands.

"That was quite a show you were putting on a little while ago Miss Phillips. I believe I quite underestimated what we would find when we came to see you."

"And why exactly would that be?" Sadie asked, though she had a pretty good idea. In her field of research you hear quite a few references to Magneto and his Brotherhood, and none of them are very good. Magneto's presence in her home, in her room never-the-less, was evidence enough that he would do anything to achieve his goal, and he was quite aware of Sadie's knowledge of who they were, and more importantly why they were there. When he addressed her next his voice became very serious.

"You know precisely why we have come. Now, we can hold this discussion here in your bedroom or, as I believe we all would prefer, downstairs in the kitchen over a cup of coffee, your choice Miss Phillips."

Of course she would rather hold any type of discussion with these people downstairs instead of here in her room with her in only her night things. Especially when she had glanced once more at the punk by the door and saw how intently he was looking at her and knew he would rather they stay up here in the bedroom. Keeping her face neutral she turned back towards Magneto to give her reply.

"Yes, I think downstairs would suit our needs much better, but if I could have a moment to throw on a robe…"

"Of course my dear, we will turn around while you do so," he kindly replied. 'Damn. They won't leave, maybe I can slip away once we're downstairs' Sadie thought to herself as she pulled on blue night robe. "Alright, we can move to the kitchen now," she informed them as she strode determinedly through the bedroom door. She was already moving swiftly down the stairs when Pyro caught up to her and quickly grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked while still holding tight to her and sparking a fireball in the other hand. Sadie only had a moment to stare defiantly into his eyes before Magneto finally joined them and ordered Pyro to release her and lead the way.

If Sadie had been startled to find two of the Brotherhood sitting in her room while she slept, it was nothing to the internal shock she felt when she first entered the kitchen only to see herself already standing at the counter. Resisting temptation to shake her head to see if she was still dreaming she just continued to stare at this other version of her, whom also held her gaze. Finally with a smirk the second Sadie's eyes flashed yellow momentarily before she transformed into the blue, scaly skinned mutant Mystique, once this happened Sadie understood that this was a shape-shifting mutant, and someone to be wary of. As she let her focus move to the rest of the kitchen she saw that Magneto had already seated himself and was waiting for her to join him, but Sadie was going to do no such thing. Instead she began to move about the counter, opening a cupboard here and a drawer there. As she did this she decided to play for time by playing dumb.

"So you say that I should know why a bunch of strange mutants have entered my family's house in the middle of the night? Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I really have no idea what it is that you wish to talk to me about, especially at this hour," Sadie calmly told them as she was trying to form a plan of escape in her mind and casually eying the exits.

"If that is how you want to go about this, then so be it," Magneto replied with a bit of frustration in his tone. "We wish to speak to you about your current research project, one which deals with the examination of the mutant gene. Surely you can't pretend you don't know why my Brotherhood and I would have any interest in your findings, especially when they suit our needs perfectly," and as he said this he held up some of the data sheets that Juggernaut had snagged from her apartment the day before. Of course Sadie knew that they were here because of her research, but until that point she hadn't realized what all they new about her discoveries. If there ever was a time for her to escape it would have to be now.

As swiftly and quickly as she could Sadie grabbed a handful of knives from the drawer in front of her and spun around to release them on Magneto. She knew he could, and would use his powers to stop them, but they were only a temporary distraction as she first dodged then flung Mystique across the room and hitting her target, Pyro. He was just getting ready to fling a fireball at her when mystique collided with him and effectively took him down and out.

Only moments after she first threw the knives, Sadie was bolting through the door into the living room. Just as she reached the front door she chanced a glance over her shoulder towards the kitchen. It was in this same moment that she opened the door and was about to flee her home when suddenly she found herself thrown back and disoriented. She was barely able to look straight at what she ran into, or rather who, because everything was a blur. There filling the entire doorway and then some was Juggernaut. This was the last vision she saw as everything suddenly went black.


	4. Back at the Mansion

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Author's note: I'm so sorry for the long delay on updates, I had to work out a few plot kinks as well as a small case of writers block. Anywho…here's the next chapie, and I apologize in advance for the accents, I'm horrible at them so just try and use your imagination, or review and give me tips on how they should look. By the way, reviewing helps motivate me (hint, hint). Alright, away we go…

Chapter 4: Back at the Mansion

Professor Xaiver was sitting in his study waiting for his X-men to return. He had managed to track one of Magneto's henchmen to New York City by using Cerebro. He only hoped that they would be able to find out what it was that his old friend Eric was up to before it was too late. It saddened the Professor to think of how his old friend, the man who had helped to start the School for Gifted Youngsters, had changed, letting his hate for homo-sapiens consume and drive him. With a sigh, and a hope for some answers, the Professor wheeled out of his office to go to the lower levels of the school. His X-Men were returning and he would meet them when the arrived.

Just as the large metal door slide open to reveal a hanger bay a large boarding plank lowered from the futuristic looking jet that had just powered down. Leading the group off of the X-jet, Storm couldn't hide the worry from her eyes. Even if she could the Professor would still sense it, so really there was no use hiding it from him. The instant he saw her walking toward him he knew that Storm didn't have good news.

"Let's discuss what happened in my office," the Professor replied as Storm was about to say something, but she stopped, nodded, and then followed the Professor as he wheeled away. Logan turned to Bobby and Rogue just as they were about to follow.

"You two have done what you can for now. Why don't you go get changed and find something to eat, let the Professor deal with what we've discovered, alright," he said looking pointedly at the two of them before turning and heading in the direction of the Professor's office.

For the first few minutes everyone was silent as they settled themselves in the office. Scott had wandered over to the window to stare out into nothingness like he had been doing ever since Alkali Lake. As usual Logan leaned against a bookcase, while Storm seated herself on the couch and the Professor wheeled his chair to face the coffee table. All of them were lost in their own thoughts, except the professor, who was in fact observing his X-men and catching glimpses of their thoughts. Finally, with a gentle clearing of his throat he brought their focus back, except for Scott, to the reason they were meeting.

"Something happened in New York. Storm what did you discover?" the Professor asked looking at his former pupil. Not quite sure where she wanted to start she simply pulled out the stack of papers they had retrieved from Sadie's apartment and set them on the coffee table.

"We think it was information that Magneto was after," she stated then glancing at Logan she continued, "and a…mutant." At this Charles looked right at her instead of the papers and sensing the thoughts in the room he turned his attention to Wolverine. "As you can see by the paperwork we found, she was researching the mutant gene. For what purpose and for whom, we have no idea," Storm said bringing the Professor's focus back to the information on the table and not the memory running through Logan's head about what happened in the alley with the new mutant. "From just looking through some of what we found it looks as though she has discovered how to isolate the mutated genes. This discovery in the wrong hands could mean the development of a cure, or worse…"

"The creation of super-mutants," Charles finished for Storm. "We must try to locate this mutant…"

"Sadie," interrupted Logan from the bookcase causing the Professor to look up at him. "Her name is Sadie Phillips."

"Phillips…" the Professor quiet and thoughtfully repeated, more for himself then the others. "Yes, well we must find her before she does fall into the wrong hands. I will go and try to find her with Cerebro," he stated before turning and wheeling back out of the office thinking to himself 'I just hope we're not too late.'

Storm followed shortly after mumbling something about food and a shower, leaving just Scott and Logan. The whole meeting Scott had simply stared out the window as if the world around him no longer existed, and ever since Alkali Lake that is just how he felt. Without Jean in his life, he didn't feel like anything else mattered. Logan knew this because on some level that is exactly how he felt too, but he also knew that it would not be what Jean wanted. She had sacrificed herself so they could live, not mope around and become dead to the world themselves, if only Cyclops would pull his head out of his ass long enough to see that. There was a long moment as Logan stood there just looking at Scott stare out the window, then finally he walked over and stood next to him.

"You're not the only one who misses her, you know," Logan stated breaking the silence with his bluntness, but still Scott didn't respond. "Do you think this is how she would have wanted you live, or not live in your case?"

"She's gone Logan, we'll never know what she would want or not want anymore," Scott quietly, but angrily replied. "Besides," he continued his tone growing louder with each word, "what makes you think you would know what she wanted? You weren't her husband; you didn't know her like I did, so just back off and leave me alone."

"Fine bub, you want to sulk, then sulk, but don't bring us all down with you. If you're not going to get your head on straight then I think you better hang back here when we go to find Sadie Phillips, because with the way you are now I can't trust you to watch any of our backs out there," Logan stated flatly then turned to leave.

"Look who's talking," muttered Cyclops.

"What," Wolverine stopped and turned back towards Cyclops.

"You heard me," he replied quietly, and then more loudly continued, "Since when have you been known as a team player Wolverine? I mean just this evening you took off ahead of the rest of us. You stand there telling me that I'm being stupid for missing my wife, the woman I loved, when it's quite clear that you've found your next infatuation. I just hope that this Sadie girl has enough sense to stay away from you, before you hurt her too," Cyclops said in a cold tone as he turned away from the window and faced Wolverine, who at this point had extended his metal claws and was growling as he glared at Cyclops. It took every ounce of his strength to resist slashing Cyclops to ribbons right then and there, so still fuming he turned sharply and stalked out of the office. He needed to burn off his rage, and the only place to do that would be the Danger Room.

Once she had left the office Ororo had been planning on taking a shower but as her stomach growled and grumbled she figured food would come first so she headed to the kitchen. When she had passed through the swinging doors she saw a familiar figure and a small smile crossed her face.

"Kurt, you're back," she said warmly as she approached her blue transporting friend. After a friendly hug she sat down on the other side of the table. "When did you get back?" she asked.

"This afternoon, but the Professor said you vere out on a mission. Vhat vere you looking for?" he asked before sipping some of the coffee he had been drinking.

"Well, were trying to figure out what Magneto is planning to do, and we think we found a solid lead," she replied as her smile faded. "Do you mind if we talk about something else?" she quickly asked, and at his head shake she continued with her smile returning, "Tell me all about your trip?" And the next few hours found them drinking coffee and sharing stories in the kitchen, Storm's shower long forgotten.

Professor Xavier rolled into the cavernous, round room, right to the end of the walkway and to the podium where the headpiece for Cerebro sat waiting for him. Once he had placed the strange headpiece on himself he cleared his mind and began to focus on finding the new mutant. When he did this the round room with its square panels faded away to show what looked like a world map covered in red lights.

Charles had been in Cerebro for what seemed like hours, but he could find no trace of the girl or of Magneto and his Brotherhood. With a heavy sigh he removed the headpiece and thought, 'where have you gone Sadie?'

There was fire and explosions all around him, the Sentinel was destroying everything around Logan, but he was managing to keep one step ahead. This is what he needed, a good fight. He knew that Cyclops said what he did out of anger and remorse, but that still didn't help him from becoming enraged by what was said. Logan was more furious with himself then Cyclops actually, because some small part of him agreed with Scott. Logan wasn't usually one of the "team". He had always been doing things his way, even at Alkali Lake. He ran off after Striker, wanting answers, leaving the others behind without his support. 'But I came back,' he thought as he dodged another blast from the Sentinel, 'I always come back.' Then his thoughts shifted to other thing that Cyclops said. Logan had loved Jean too, he honestly couldn't remember ever loving anyone the way he loved her, but that didn't stop the mixed emotions he was feeling now. When he first met Jean he was drawn to her, and now he was feeling similarly for this woman Sadie. He felt torn, guilt for thinking of someone else the way he once used to think of Jean, but then knowing that he couldn't let himself wallow in remorse, that he would need to let go, move on. With these thoughts still running a cycle through his head he let out a primal growl and ran right at the attacking Sentinel feeling the need to sink his claws into something and release all his fury and pain.

Author's note: Next chapter takes us back to Sadie and the Brotherhood, and in coming chapters more wonderful characters are introduced, yippee.


	5. Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Author's note: Okay, so I finally got another chapter out and I feel terrible that it took me so long to do so, but its here now, so hurray! Anyway…reviews are always welcome, now on with the show…

Chapter 5: Escape

As Sadie's mind slowly began to slide into consciousness she dimly registered how cold she was and how she was lying uncomfortably on a very hard surface. Wondering for a moment why she wasn't still in her warm, cozy bed, the events of earlier that night came rushing back to her as the drug induced haze finally lifted. She gave a slight moan as she finally cracked open her eyes to try and get some idea of were she was at. Where ever it was the interior decorator was certainly lacking. She was in a circular room with only one door, barred, and the only surfaces were of cold steel and rock.

'Great! They've got me in a cell,' she thought. 'This is just perfect. There's got to be some way to get out. Think Sadie, think,' and so she sat there in that cold hard cell plotting and planning a possible escape.

After about an hour she started to pace, like a caged lioness, trying to work out any kinks in her plan, and so far there was only one, one really big one. On the other side of the barred door was a huge drop into a cavernous pit and the other side was about 20 yards away.

She finally stopped pacing to look out over the dark hole that separated her from her freedom. 'There has to be some way to get across,' she thought as she leaned her forehead between the bars and sighed. Then, like a light bulb going on, she remembered what happened when she awoke at home, right before they took her. She had been hovering over her bed. She knew that the appearance of this new power was connected to both the incident in the alley and the memories of her early childhood, but how, was the question. 'I'll solve that problem later, but right now I need to make my exit,' she resolved.

Taking a step back she cleared her mind, something she had been skilled at doing every since she could remember, and began to focus on the way her body had felt when she was levitating above her bed. She could remember the tingling of energy as is coursed through her, the weightlessness that is created, and with a deep breath she willed that same feeling to emerge again. Slowly she began to lift from the ground, and when she felt she was about a foot off the floor she eased open her eyes to see if she could maintain her control. Once she opened her eyes she was shocked to see that instead of being only a foot off of the ground in fact five feet up. Her surprise at being so high caused her to loose her focus and she crashed back to the floor. With a groan she pulled herself back up to try again

'Okay,' she thought. 'This time, no surprises.' Once again she concentrated on the feeling of tingling weightlessness, but with her eyes open, and as she lifted off the ground she found controlling how high she went much easier. Now hovering a foot from the floor she turned her attention to moving in other directions. She first began by slowly moving in a circle around the room, then figure eights, and steadily increasing her speed. The more she worked on it the easier controlling and concentrating became.

Finally satisfied with her control she turned to the barred door and with a flex of her hand five metal feline shaped claws extended out of her finger tips where her fingernails should have been. With one swipe to the top and one to the bottom she cut clean through the steel bars giving her a now open exit. 'Here goes nothing,' she thought and a moment later she was out the door and flying above the darkness below her.

When she reached the other side she looked back over her shoulder and with a small smirk whispered, "Phase one of escape mutant supremists complete, now to phase two."

In another cold cave and steel room of Magneto's underground compound a few members of the brotherhood were gathered and conversing in low tones as they waited to hear what the next step was in Magneto's master plan.

"Did you know that the Doc was a mutie?" Juggernaut whispered to Mystique. A small shake of the head was her only response, but inside her head she was thinking about just how mysterious this new mutant was, and wondered how many more secrets she had.

They knew that this mutant they captured held the key their leader had been looking for to succeed in the battle against homo-sapiens, and in fact they thought that the strange metal lockbox that Juggernaut snagged from the wall safe in the doctor's apartment was the key. The information locked within it would help them redefine the term mutant. Unfortunately, though the box was indeed made of metal, it was a type that Magneto could not manipulate, and even Juggernaut couldn't break open. After attempting to open the mysterious box for over an hour the others were getting a little restless. All of them were wondering how does the box open?

"What are we going to do now Eric?" asked Mystique.

"Juggernaut, I want you and Pyro come with me to escort our guest here so that she may be of some assistance in opening her unique lockbox," Magneto replied as he turned towards his mutants and away form the box on his metal desk. He paused on his way to the door to say, "We must be careful with her. The information she has is very valuable, and I believe we have yet to see the full extent of her powers." With that they were off to retrieve her only to discover an empty cell.

'Okay now where the hell am I suppose to go,' Sadie angrily thought to herself as she came across another dead end, in fact she could swear that she had already been down this way a few minutes ago.

"This place is a maze, I just wish there was some sort of exit sign, or something," she growled out in frustration. She was just about to head back the way she came when she heard voices coming from the corridor around the corner. She knew that if they came down into the darkened corridor she was currently in that she would be in trouble, but hopefully they would just walk past, which seemed reasonable to her, seeing as she was currently hiding in a hallway that went nowhere.

She held her breath as she heard the voices and footsteps come nearer. It was then when she was focused on keeping still and quiet that she realized she could hear the conversation quite clearly, even though those speaking were talking in hushed tones. She could also hear the discrepancies in the foot steps. One of them, female, was walking with light quick strides while her companion, male, had more force in his step with a slight drag on the right, probably from an old injury, and a shorter stride. She gave a quick shake of her head because she was sure she was just imagining hearing all those things being under stress of being caught, but still she could hear things that she wouldn't normally have been able to hear. Hell she could even hear the pace of their heartbeats. She was so wrapped up in the fact that she was hearing things with a clarity and detail she never had before that it took her a moment to realize that the voices and footsteps had died away and she had remained unnoticed.

Letting out a low sigh she slowly poked her head around the corner checking to make sure everything was clear. Satisfied that it was safe to go on she slipped out of the dark corridor and went in the direction the two mutants that passed by had come from. 'Hopefully this will lead me somewhere useful,' she grumbled in her mind.

Ten minutes and several corridors later she knew she had gone the wrong way. Instead of going out she had the feeling that she had worked her way further in. She was planning on turning around and backtracking when she came across a room that looked like an office and sitting there on top of the desk was Mystique. Sadie was ready to disappear and get away as quickly as she could when the object Mystique was examining caught her eye. The lockbox, her lockbox, the one she received from her father in his will. She never understood why he gave it to her or what she was supposed to do to open it, until now.

A memory from before the Phillips adopted her, back when she was on that compound, came rushing back to her. She and some of the other children were learning how to open the special boxes; they were a type of puzzle box created to protect classified information. Sadie knew that in that box were answers for her, answers that her father had never been able to give to her when he was alive. She needed to get that box.

Mystique was turning the strange box over in her hands trying to figure out the secret to opening it, because she knew that Eric would be immensely pleased with her if she could do it without the help of their "guest". She was so focused on figuring it out that she didn't catch the movement of Sadie shooting through the door and was caught by complete surprise when a body slammed into her. Sadie had gone at her with so much force and momentum that they both went flying over the desk, the lockbox clanging on the metal floor between them. Immediately they both looked up from where they had landed and locked eyes, and only a second later were up and going at each other hoping to strike the other one down.

Mystique wasn't planning on letting Sadie get the better of her like she had done back in her home, so she began to use some of her best moves which used her agility and flexibility to the max. What she didn't count on was Sadie's own agility, strength, and speed. Mystique jumped high into the air and twisted and spun through the air aiming her foot straight at Sadie's chest, but Sadie managed to not only block the kick but also got a hold of the airborne mutant's foot. She gave it a strong twist but Mystique rolled the same direction and was able to get her feet under her as she landed allowing her to flip away from the right jab and snap kick from Sadie. Now the blue shape-shifter was aiming a sweep kick from Sadie's left, but she was able to flip up and back, aiming her right foot for Mystiques face. Twisting to her right Mystique avoided getting caught in the face by Sadie's toes and was around again in time to see her opponent land gracefully in a crouched position on top of Magneto's desk. Another moment passed where they locked eyes right before launching at each other again, both aiming a swift mid-air kick and twisting to avoid being caught by the other's foot. Once back on the ground Mystique shifted her weight to her hands and tried to lock Sadie with her feet, but once again he move was blocked.

Sadie knew she had to end this, and end it now, or she was never going to get out of there. Mystique's leg went flying over Sadie's head in a roundhouse that she expertly dodged and using her low crouch to its fullest she shot up with a right uppercut hit to her opponents jaw causing Mystique to go flying through the air and land ten feet away in an ungraceful, unconscious heap. With that taken care Sadie swiftly snatched the lockbox off the floor and dashed out the door.

She was moving through the corridors more quickly than she had been earlier because she was beginning to get desperate. She wanted out of this maze, and to keep from getting caught she had also decided to put her newly developing powers to use, so keeping her ears perked up for any sign of company as she flew, literally, through the corridors. After another five minutes she could tell she was close because of the smell of fresh air. Just as she was drawing close to what she determined was the hatch door out she could hear shouts and several pairs of feet running in the corridors behind her. Putting on a burst of speed she shot through the hatch, blasting it open and finally being free of the dark, cold prison she had been trapped in for the last few hours.

Now that she was out she continued to shoot up into the early morning sky, the dawn light peeking through the trees of the forest that surrounded her. Determined to get far away from Magneto and his Brotherhood she soared above the trees and in the direction of the rising sun, she needed to go home where the questions that had been plaguing her her whole life could finally be answered.


	6. Cure?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Author's note: Finally another chapter. This one took me longer to finish than I thought it would. I also want to thank Heavenstar3, Nelle07, and Aria DeLoncray for reviewing. I have also been having a new story popping up in my mind. It's a Harry Potter/X-Men crossover and I have a quick summary posted on my profile, so check it out and let me know if you'd be interested in reading it. Thanks, that's all for now, enjoy.

Chapter 6: Cure?

It was still quite early on a Sunday morning when Logan received the mental call from the Professor. All X-men were to report to his office right away. Logan of course was already awake when he heard the call because he hadn't slept much that night. In fact he hadn't slept well since the mission to Alkali Lake, but the dream that disturbed his slumber this time wasn't focused on Jean and her death. Instead he kept seeing Sadie's face when his claws went through her stomach, the look in her eyes. Confusion, fear, and anger flashing through them in the moment before her heart stopped beating. Shaking his head he stood up and went to throw on some clothes before leaving for the Professor's office.

When he arrived he noticed that he was one of the last ones to arrive, and, though he was tired, he was more awake than some of the others. Both Rouge and Bobby were trying to rub the sleep from their eyes and stifle yawns, while Storm sat on the couch sipping some coffee in an attempt to shake off her morning grogginess, and Scott, well… he wasn't even there yet. After Logan sat himself on the couch next to Storm and gave Rouge a quick smile, Professor Xavier wheeled into the room and took his place behind his desk.

"I believe I have located our mystery mutant," the Professor began. "Last night when I couldn't locate her using Cerebro, I began to do some searching on the computer. Last night when Logan mentioned the name Phillips it reminded me of a Canadian scientist who at one point worked very closely with William Stryker." At the mention of Stryker, Logan's head snapped towards the professor.

"What are you getting at Chuck?" he questioned. "Is Sa… this mutant connected to the work he was doing up at Alkali Lake?" he continued in almost a growl before Charles could even answer the first question.

"Yes I believe there is some connection," at this Logan looked ready to kill

someone but the Professor continued, "and no, I don't believe it is in the way you are thinking Logan." He only snorted in disbelief at this statement which Charles chose to ignore. "You see, before Stryker made it his mission to destroy the mutant race, he was working with the government on discovering ways to manipulate and harness the powers of the mutant gene. The complexity of the mutant gene was Dr. Phillips field of study, in fact he was in the top of this field, which was probably the reason he was recruited by Stryker."

"Excuse me Professor," interrupted Storm, "but how do you know all of this?"

"Well, most of this information came from the files we got off his computer, while the rest is just educated guess work," he answered. "The fact of the matter is that Doctor Sadie Phillips is the adopted daughter of Doctors Emmanuel and Grace Phillips, who died while on vacation at their winter cabin, up in the valley near Alkali Lake." At this statement the others gasped, having understood just how and when they must have died. Logan was looking very pensive by this point, there was just so much information and he was trying to piece it all together like a puzzle, but his thoughts were interrupted as the Professor continued, "I used Cerebro again this morning and I believe that I have found her. Her family had a manor in the country just north of New York City, and that is where she is. X-men, I need you to go there and bring her back here so that we can keep her safe from Magneto and his Brotherhood, and good luck."

Once he finished the team all rose to their feet and headed for the door, all except Storm who walked up to Charles desk as the others went to prepare for the mission.

"Professor?" she quietly asked

"Yes Storm?" he replied as he looked up from some papers on his desk.

"It's just…well…I'm worried about Scott," she said her voice filled with concern. "I mean it wasn't hard to notice his absence from the meeting this morning, and he has not been himself since…since Alkali Lake."

"Yes, I know," he sighed. "He's taking Jean's death very hard. I'm planning on speaking with him later today, but right now I need you to focus on this mission. I have a feeling that whatever side this new mutant is on it is very important that we protect her," he stated while looking off in the distance outside of his window. Storm simply nodded her head in understanding and turned to go and ready herself and the jet for their journey.

A tall, broad shouldered officer walked briskly through the long, underground hallway of a government compound building in an undisclosed location. In his hand was a manila folder, the contents of which would drastically change the government's fortune in dealing with rouge mutants, like Magneto. Within this folder was an answer to their problems, within it was information on a "cure" to the mutant gene. The officer, Lt. James Fisk, had just returned from a meeting at the pharmaceutical company of Worthington Inc. It was there that the president of the company revealed they had been researching a way to cure mutants, and that they felt they had finally found it. Worthington revealed that his researchers got the basis for their studies from a NYU scientific journal article written by Professor Emmanuel Phillips five years earlier.

"In his article Professor Phillips explained his theory about the mutant gene in respect with such concepts as evolution and Darwinism. His article gave a basic breakdown of the gene, and it was from this that we developed our formula," Worthington stated to a stunned Lt. Fisk.

Shaking his head at the memory of this revelation, he continued to the end of the corridor until he finally reached a large metal door with armed guards on both sides, and a code pad where he punched in the pass code. There was a slight clinking sound as the door activated and opened inward to the secure command center. He walked straight to the table filled with other government officials and handed the folder directly to the Secretary of Defense. After handing it off he stepped back to allow General Cross to flip through the contents.

"Excuse me gentlemen," the General addressed the others in at the table. "I have just received some very pertinent information. It appears that Worthington Inc. have developed what they are deeming as a cure to the mutant gene." At his proclamation the rest of the group just sat in stunned silence for a moment.

"A cure?" asked another defense official.

"That is what these documents I just received are indicating, yes. Lieutenant Fisk, what can you tell us about this information?" the General asked as he turned to address said Lieutenant.

"Sir, the meeting I attended at Worthington Inc., at the invitation of Mr. Worthington himself, revealed that they have been in the process of developing this cure for years. He also shared that his company will begin to administer the cure to any mutant who willfully chooses to receive it within the week," replied Lt. Fisk.

"I'm glad to hear that this option is now available, but why was military representation requested for this meeting?" inquired yet another defense official.

"It is my understanding that they want to cooperate with the government in developing a way to integrate this cure into the nation's defense system," answered Lt. Fisk.

"I think that this offer should be taken into serious consideration gentlemen," replied General Cross. "Accepting it gives us the means to deal with some very real threats from the mutant community, but…we must also understand that there could be some serious repercussions as well. Just imagine the outcry and possible resistance we could face when the mutant community discovers that we have turned a voluntary cure into weapon."

Back at the Worthington Manor a very concerned father was about to reveal the same news of the "cure" to his son, Warren Worthington III. His son was the main reason he had his company researching the mutant gene so frenetically. He wanted to be able to offer his son a normal life. Not that he thought any less of his son for being a mutant, but he thought that Warren would be happier without his large wingspan.

He turned away from the window where he had been collecting his thoughts to face his son, sitting patiently waiting for the reason his father had wanted to speak with him. Warren had been away at school when he received the call from his father, and whatever it was he wanted to see him about it seemed important.

'Looks like I'll finally find out what all this is about, and it's about time, he's been staring out that window for twenty minutes,' Warren thought to himself when he saw his father turn to face him.

"I'm that you were able to get away from school to come and see me. Something very important is going to occur that will change many lives, including yours," Worthington senior began, peaking Warren's already high curiosity. "You see, ever since you developed your…your wings, I felt that you weren't really given a choice whether you wanted this…well, this addition. I set out to find a way to suppress the mutant gene, a way to give you that choice. Now that Worthington Inc. has successfully found a way to achieve this, I wanted to offer it to you first before allowing it to be accessible to the public. I want you to be able to have the normal, happy life that your wings have denied you."

Warren just sat quietly when his father finished. He wasn't quite sure how to take all this information. Slowly he stood up and walked over to the window his father had previously been staring out so that he could figure out how he wanted to reply.

'Did he really do all this for me, or is it because he really doesn't want a mutant for a son? No, I know he loves me with or without my wings, but do I really want to be "cured". Sure it has been difficult to keep my wings hidden, but do I want them gone, they're a part of me,' he thought as he tried to form an answer for his father. With a sigh he turned his head to look at his father standing there next to him. Would he support Warren whatever he chose, or would he try to convince him that it was all for the best.

"Father, I…I don't really know what to say. I know you love me, and you just want to give me the choice to be…normal. I don't know if you'll ever really understand why, but I don't think I can take it. No matter how hard it has been or will be to disguise my wings, they are a part of me and it would be almost like having my arm cut off. I appreciate what you have done, and like you said, it will change many lives, because I know there are others out there who really do want the choice to be normal, but I'm not one of them," Warren said turning to look back out the window.

"But Warren," his father started.

"No 'buts'. I can't do it father," he stated angrily before turning on his heel and striding out of his father's study. He left the manor immediately, planning on returning to school. Little did he know what difference his decision would have on his life.

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Author's note: I now that you're all wondering what's going on with Sadie, but I had to use this chapter to introduce some of the other characters and subplots. Next chapter we're back to Sadie and how she reacts when the X-Men come to retrieve her. Remember to review, it helps motivate my creative mind.


	7. Search and Rescue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men

Authors Note: For those of you who have not given up on my story you have my eternal thanks. I am terribly sorry it took as long as it did for me to get this chapter out. It is my hope that the next one will be on its way sooner, much sooner. Remember reviews, especially story and plot points q's help motivate my creative brain.

Chapter 7: Search and Rescue

It took Sadie almost two hours to get back to the manor, or what was left of it. Before her eyes lay the smoldering carcass of the home she grew up in. The home where she had some of her fondest memories and the only thing she had had left of her parents was now gone, destroyed.

At the terrible sight before her Sadie fell to her knees and wept silent tears, and as the pain she felt in her chest grew she threw her head back and screamed. It was a scream filled with all her pain, sadness, and anger. She was so immersed in her pain that she took no notice of the energy flying around her. Ash and debris swirled around her as if caught in a windstorm and the air had become electric from the uncontrolled energy she had unleashed. As the storm raged around her, it continued the destruction the flames had started on her home.

This enormous energy storm was the sight that greeted the X-men as Storm landed the jet a safe distance away. It was a sight that inspired both awe and terror, and for a few moments all any of them could do was stare. Then quite suddenly it ended and they were brought back to the reason they were there, they needed to find Sadie. Quickly exiting the jet they cautiously made their way towards the ruined manor.

'What the hell just happened,' thought Logan as he made his way off the jet with the others. He had guessed that Sadie was powerful, why else would Magneto be after her, but until seeing that uncontrolled show of power he realized her power was greater then anything he had ever seen. Turning his head from side to side he could see the others spreading out to search through the ruins for Sadie. There was nothing but rubble left of the house, if she was buried under some of it somewhere it would be very difficult for any of them to find her. Logan stopped searching and closed his eyes. If she was somewhere they couldn't see, then maybe he could find her with his nose. Slowing he started to pick up a familiar smell, the same smell he first encountered in the alleyway. It was faint, but as he effortlessly moved through the debris the scent grew stronger. Finally when he was sure he was close enough he stopped to dig around in the fallen ruins. After a few minutes, and moving some very large pieces rubble, he saw a pale hand resting on a strange metal box.

"Hey guys, over here! I think I've found her!" he yelled getting the other X-men's immediate attention as the rushed to the spot he was at. As a team they worked on uncovering the rest of Sadie. She was completely covered in dust and grim, and had blood on her nightgown in a few places, but when they checked they could not find any injuries.

"We need to get her back to the mansion," stated Storm once the quick medical check was done. They quickly loaded her onto a portable stretcher, which took both Bobby and Logan to do as she weighed more than she looked, and carried her back to the jet. As the boys were doing all this, Rouge had picked up the unique box that had been pushed to the side when they were checking her vitals.

'What a strange box' she thought to herself as she turned it over in her hands. 'There isn't even a way to open from what I can see. No lock, no hinges. Well whatever is in here must be pretty important. Maybe the Professor will know how to open it,' with that final though Rouge looked up to see that the rest of the team was already boarding the jet. Shoving the box under her arm she dashed back to the jet and was getting on just as storm started up the engine.

"What took you babe?" asked Bobby as she buckled in next to her boyfriend.

"I thought this might be important," she answered as she placed the box in her lap where Bobby could see. "I couldn't figure out how it opened and thought the Professor could probably figure it out."

"I'm sure he'll be able to figure it out," he said, reaching over and grasping her gloved hand in his. They were already halfway to the mansion, and hopefully they would get some of their questions about the new mutant and this box answered.

The displeasure Magneto felt at discovering that Sadie had escaped was nothing compared to the anger he felt upon returning to his office to find one of his favorite and most trusted mutants unconscious and the strange box gone. 'That damn girl must have taken it with her,' he thought to himself. 'No matter, she'll have run back home, I'm sure of it.' Turning towards Pyro, who was busy reviving Mystique, he began to formulate a plan.

"We need to send out a team to recover the box and the girl," he said to the small group that had gathered in the room, "the information they contain is the key to our success, and be careful. You can see what will happen to you if you underestimate her," he stated as he gestured to Mystiques still unconscious form. "You'd do best to check the manor house we took her from first, then move on to her apartment. Once you have recovered them we will move on to stage two of the plan."

With nods and grunts the group dispersed, some went off to prepare to move to the next location while the others were going on a hunting mission. Unfortunately for them they arrived too late.

The Professor was on his way down to the sub level of the school and the medical lab. Not long ago the team had returned with Sadie but she had remained unconscious the entire time. Hopeful that he might get some answers, Xavier rolled through the doorway to see a young woman lying on a medical table being examined by a large, blue, furry man.

"Ah, Hank, I'm so glad you could make it. I see you're already putting your skills to use in checking on our guest," the professor said greeting the mutant and friend known as Dr. Hank McCoy, or also referred to as Beast, who recently had been working with the government on creating fair policies regarding mutants.

"Charles, it's good to see you again," greeted Hank pleasantly. "I wish my visit only had to do with helping out in the medical lab, but just this morning I received some very important news. News regarding a development at Worthington Inc.," he stated while giving the Professor a meaningful look.

"Alright Hank, but why don't you tell me how our guest is doing before we move up to my office and you can give me your news then."

"That sounds fine Charles, but all I can really tell you right now that she is unconscious due to exhaustion. All of her vitals are fine, in fact she is in perfect health, but I won't know any details until her blood work finishes," said Hank with a motion towards a machine in the corner. "It still has some time to run, so we have time to head upstairs now."

Once they were both settled, or as settled as one can be with the information about to be relayed, Hank began, "I'm sure you were already aware of the current studies occurring at Worthington Inc., and the news I received this morning may not come as a surprise for you," he paused, running a hand over his blue fur beard. "They believe they have created what they are calling a "cure" for the mutant gene. Apparently they based their research on some work previously done by the late Dr. Phillips. I was only informed of this as I'm seen as a government representative of the mutant community. They've invited me to visit their facilities before they begin to open their free clinics to the populace. Once I heard I felt it necessary to come and inform you."

"Thank you Hank. You're right, I did know that they were in the process of finding a suitable cure, but I had hoped that the answer might elude them. It's not that I fear it being available to those who truly wish to be normal, but rather how mutants like Eric might react. In fact if the pieces fit together the way I think they do, then he more than likely knows as well." After a questioning look from Hank he continued, "You see, the woman downstairs that you were examining is in fact a mutant, a very powerful and special one at that. She is also the adopted daughter of Dr. Phillips and was continuing his study of the mutant gene. We have reason to believe that Eric is after her for the same kind of information that Worthington Inc. used to create their "cure", but his purpose, to create mutants, would be just as terrible as if the government were to force this cure on all mutants." With a heavy sigh he added, "Sadie may hold the answers, but we won't know until she wakes."


End file.
